beauty and the Beast at MGN

[Mikejakester]

Hey just wondering, will Beaty and the Beast be open for late december...
Belive it or not, I never seen this show, I had always skipped it and im planning on stoping by this show on my next visit in december. So my questions are,

is it going ot be open in late december?
and is it worth it? How good is it? I heard it compares to the broadway show. Is this True? opinions from everyone that has seen it will be very apreciated... thanks:wave:

 

[mkepcotmgmak]

i thought it was great - but i have seen mgm's and broadways ... and they do not compare at all...

mgm's is a fraction of the time, and revolves around the cartoon - the broadway producion has a more realistic theme to it... not cartoonerized...lol - but it is worth viewing - they really do a great job!

 

[meeko_33785]

Beauty and the Beast is my favorite show at WDW. After seeing both this version and the Broadway version, I can say that they don't compare at all. If you expect to see a condensed version of the Broadway show you will be very disappointed. Most of the cast if made up of rubberheard characters (Beast, Enchanted Objects) with Belle and Gaston being the only ones that actually sing and speak live. However, the sets, choreography, and costuming is absolutly incredable- not to mention the music. I would definatly recogmend seeing this is you have the time. It's really a great show.

 

[egionet]

Beauty and the Beast is my all time favorite Disney movie. I've seen the Broadway show, but unfortunately the WDW production is not as good. Of course it's also only 20 minutes. You can't have an entire broadway show in 20 minutes. I would definitely suggest it; it's my favorite Disney show. I certainly try not to miss it while I'm there!

 

[DisneyDefenders]

Bring Back Hunchback!

I agree with Meeko to a certain extent. BB is cute, but Hunchback was way better and I was very sad to see it taken away. In my opinion, they should have moved Hunchback to the BB theatre! All I can say is perhaps....SOMEDAY!

 

[Badger Brent]

I think girls tend to love this show more then the guys. I personally like to show up early and get the four for a dollar pre show act. We loved them so much we bought their cd after the show.

 

[meeko_33785]

Re: Bring Back Hunchback!

Originally posted by CaptJackSparrow
I agree with Meeko to a certain extent. BB is cute, but Hunchback was way better and I was very sad to see it taken away. In my opinion, they should have moved Hunchback to the BB theatre! All I can say is perhaps....SOMEDAY!

I actually was not very impressed with the Hunchback show personally. It seemed very rushed and tried to fit too much into a small amount of time. I thought the most rediculous thing of the whole show was leaving out the finale from "Topsey Turvey". I mean, it's probably the biggest number in the whole show and insteed of making it a show-stopper, it just fizzled out at the end! Of course, I didn't like the movie too much either so I guess it would have been hard to "wow" me with the show.

 

[Disneyfalcon]

I like Beauty and the Beast at MGM. My daughter is just transfixed. When we saw it a couple of weeks ago they were struggling. They had two guys dancing around with a carpet type cloth. They tripped on it a couple of times. When the beast was transformed they held the carpet up in front of him.
I could be totally wrong, but I don't remember this from before. I thought the Beast transformed in a thick puff a smoke. Kinda like Ariels transformation in the little mermaid show.
Am I wrong?

 

[DisneyDefenders]

Show Change

Yeah...the show was changed a while back, so you may remember the old version.

Meeko...I can see where if you didn't like the movie (though I can't see how you wouldn't at least LOVE the soundtrack which is GREAT!), you wouldn't take to the stage show...but you have to admit that Hunchback (regardless of whether you liked the movie or not) was 10 times the Disney production that BB is. It was closer to a Broadway type show than other shows at WDW. Bottom line, I miss it and like I said before and Quasimodo sang...'Someday'...they'll bring it back!

 

[wdwhoneymooner]

I was in the same boat with you, Mike. Of all the times I've visited WDW, I didn't see B&B until my last visit. Not a bad show! I'm glad I took the time to sit and watch.

 

[meeko_33785]

Re: Show Change

Originally posted by CaptJackSparrow
Yeah...the show was changed a while back, so you may remember the old version.

Meeko...I can see where if you didn't like the movie (though I can't see how you wouldn't at least LOVE the soundtrack which is GREAT!), you wouldn't take to the stage show...but you have to admit that Hunchback (regardless of whether you liked the movie or not) was 10 times the Disney production that BB is. It was closer to a Broadway type show than other shows at WDW. Bottom line, I miss it and like I said before and Quasimodo sang...'Someday'...they'll bring it back!

To me, the soundtrack to Hunchback was pure shultz- nothing spectacular or amazing. It was just average IMO. It didn't have the same spark that the songs from Lion King, Mermaid, B&B, or Aladdin (or even Pocahontas was was pretty shmaltzy as well). As for the show at MGM, I thought the choreography was dreadful. That stage was so small they couldn't do anything- no amazing dance numbers like in B&B or any of the shows at AK. The sets were good, as were the performers, but the show was just seriously lacking to me.

 

[egionet]

Re: Re: Show Change

Originally posted by meeko_33785
To me, the soundtrack to Hunchback was pure shultz- nothing spectacular or amazing. It was just average IMO. It didn't have the same spark that the songs from Lion King, Mermaid, B&B, or Aladdin (or even Pocahontas was was pretty shmaltzy as well). As for the show at MGM, I thought the choreography was dreadful. That stage was so small they couldn't do anything- no amazing dance numbers like in B&B or any of the shows at AK. The sets were good, as were the performers, but the show was just seriously lacking to me.

The dancing in all Disney show, no offense to Disney, is horrible. They make it easy enough the every dancer can do it and do it well together. But it certainly is not challenging at all. I am not a great dancer, but my sister is phenominal. And she, and many other girls I know, could dance circles around the Disney folks. It's not that the Disney dancers are bad, it's just the the dances they do are very easy. And they are made easy so that they look good, and no one is out of place.

From someone who has seen about 30 broadway shows as well as been to many dance recitals, the dancing is not broadway comparable. Yet, I still love BB and see it everytime I'm at WDW!

 

[meeko_33785]

Re: Re: Re: Show Change

Originally posted by egionet
someone who has seen about 30 broadway shows as well as been to many dance recitals, the dancing is not broadway comparable. Yet, I still love BB and see it everytime I'm at WDW!

I didn't mean that the dancing in the B&B show was bad, I was actually refering to the Hunchback show. I actually think that the dancing in B&B is some of the best I've ever seen at WDW. The balroom scene and Be Our Guest numbers are great. In fact, when I saw it this Summer, I thought the dancing was better than ever. Both the choreography and skill of the dancing has improved greatly in the last 12 years it's been at MGM- especially since they redid the show in 2001.

 

[Legacy]

Ah... a Beauty/Hunchback debate... gotta love these.

Personally, the Beauty and the Beast show is fine for a character show. I really only will go to see it for two reasons: 1) Four for a Dollar (Return to Zero) is out of this world. I have both of their CD's and love watching them. I have actually gone into the preshow, watched them, and then left when B&B started. 2) For my Gaston fix. I love the character and am dying to play him at either MGM or on the Great White Way. Besides those two things though the show is okay. I personally think that is the weakest of the 'live performances'. The fact that only two people really sing plays a big part of my feelings on it also.

THREE CHEERS FOR QUASIMODO!!!

 

[Legacy]

Originally Posted By meeko_33785-
I didn't mean that the dancing in the B&B show was bad, I was actually refering to the Hunchback show. I actually think that the dancing in B&B is some of the best I've ever seen at WDW. The balroom scene and Be Our Guest numbers are great. In fact, when I saw it this Summer, I thought the dancing was better than ever. Both the choreography and skill of the dancing has improved greatly in the last 12 years it's been at MGM- especially since they redid the show in 2001.

Okay, I have to agree with egionet on this. My junior year of high school my show choir did a Disney themed show. We went to MGM and recorded the B&B show. Then a high school show choir, with 15-18 year olds, replicated the choreography to a T. The spinning kick wheel, we did; the spinning spoons, we did (though in the Mary Poppins segment). Granted the dancing in Hunchback wasn't the best. But to the best of my knowledge the dancing in the Hunchback movie was borderline non-existant. I just think B&B is way too dated to still be running. The music is pretty good but I don't think it has the power that Hunchback does. You say that Hunchback was shultz, and you said the same thing about Pocahontis. Both of those movies came right after the Elton John/Time Rice/Alan Menkin Era, and so it was a good bit different to what the crowds had gotten use to. That, IMO, is a very good thing.

 

[DisneyDefenders]

Kicker...you hit it right on the spot!

I agree with Kicker in his point that you can't really compare Hunchback and Pocahontas' soundtracks to Aladdin and Little Mermaid. They're very different, and in many ways...that's what makes them great!

Off the subject a little...any of you bought the Brother Bear soundrack yet? I'd like to see what others think about it.

Anyhow, I still stand firm that Hunchback was a better show than BB!

 

[Marijil]

BB at MGM is definitely a great theme park show but nowhere near the broadway production, ditto for festival of lion king...

 

[meeko_33785]

Originally posted by Kicker
You say that Hunchback was shultz, and you said the same thing about Pocahontis. Both of those movies came right after the Elton John/Time Rice/Alan Menkin Era, and so it was a good bit different to what the crowds had gotten use to. That, IMO, is a very good thing.

I can't say I quite get your point here. So you're saying that because it's different, it's automatically better? That doesn't make any sence. Personally, I think that the songs in Hunchback for the most part were fairly overdone, schmaltzy and lackluster. There was no song that at the end of the film you still were singing in your head like most Disney films or Broadway shows. I'm not saying it's a bad soundtrack, but it just doesn't interest me. I love musicals, but this is just uninspired mediocre fodder to me. No heart, no emotion and just feels somewhat fake. This is just my oppinion, though. I know a lot of people love Hunchback, but I just personally don't think it's that great.

 

[DisneyDefenders]

Respect Your Opinion

I totally respect your opinion...but you're wrong! LOL

The point I was making was the the soundtrack is different from the typical Aladdin and Little Mermaid soundtracks and that's one of the things that made it great!

The show is better because it's different because of the fact that anything different from BB would be better! LOL Naw, the thing is I just saw so much of a better show in Hunchback than BB. Better elements all around and something that everyone can enjoy, where BB is very kiddie.

But thanks for expressing your opinion which I totally respect...but you're still wrong! LOL

 

[mrtoad]

Originally posted by Mikejakester
Hey just wondering, will Beaty and the Beast be open for late december...
Belive it or not, I never seen this show, I had always skipped it and im planning on stoping by this show on my next visit in december. So my questions are,

is it going ot be open in late december?
and is it worth it? How good is it? I heard it compares to the broadway show. Is this True? opinions from everyone that has seen it will be very apreciated... thanks:wave:

I've seen both the Broadway and the MGM version and as other have stated the Broadway one is much better. I have to say I did not enjoy the one at MGM but the reason was not because it was bad, it was because their was a parade going on right behind us and it was quite annoying. It was the Aladdin Parade and if you did not see that parade, they extended the song "Make Way For Prince Ali" (not sure if that is the real name). You heard that phrase over and over for about 10 minutes. It was rough...